


The Unlikely Librarians

by Satinsdagger



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24516409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satinsdagger/pseuds/Satinsdagger
Summary: Afyola has more on her mind than The Library, but they might be the only ones who can help her overthrow her father.





	1. Afyola

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! My friends and I are in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign (not necessarily 100% following the DnD rules, but still) and I thought it would be really cool to transform our campaign and our actions into a story. So, that's what this is!

She looked up from the damp letter in her hands to confirm that the tavern’s name was correct. This is it.  
Time was of the essence; Dralin would be back momentarily from his scouting and Afyola needed to be in and out without him noticing. A patron stumbled through the heavy wooden door and Afyola took advantage, slipping inside as the orc wavered in the doorway in his drunken state. Her nose wrinkled, idris was a powerful drink, and he reeked of it.  
The warm lanternlight of the tavern momentarily stunned her eyes in comparison to the darkness outside. It was early night, the sun had set not long ago but the three moons had yet to make an appearance in the eastern sky. The interior of the tavern displayed modest success. High-quality stools and tables were placed throughout the room, but the wear of years of use was noticeable. Her pulse raced in her ears as she scanned the room, searching—for what? She didn’t even know what she was looking for. The damned aarakocra had been difficult enough to get the tavern’s name from, anything else was pointless. A strong feeling pulled her attention to the wall next to the main door. A small figure, easily blending in the large rowdy crowd that had accumulated. She could hear her father’s voice in her head, reminding her  
Try and betray me. I will show your soul horrors beyond what you can imagine. You will never be with her again.  
She had to try. Afyola focused her mind on her mother, mostly a hazy feeling than an image, and strode toward the figure.  
When she emerged from the tavern, she could make out Dralin’s figure striding toward the fountain, where they were to meet. She slipped between alleys, trying to stay out of sight but beat the young soldier to the fountain. When he approached her, he threw his arm across her shoulder, grinning into her ear.  
“Nothing to worry about. This should be an easy mission to accomplish. What all does T want us to do?” Afyola grimaced at the affectionate tone her companion referred to her father with. “Find weaknesses. Look at structures, soldiers, money, weak points in social structure. He wants certain success.”  
Tefeyenmar was a monster. Her father a war machine who had murdered his way to rule over Astorn. His tyrannical temptations didn’t stop there though, and Afyola and Dralin were part of a reconnaissance team whose goal was to find and exploit weaknesses in Tefeyenmar’s next targets. She hated him. He who had killed her mother for trying to reason with him, pull him back from the dark power he sought in ruling and manipulating others. When he realized she had turned against him, he didn’t hesitate in slaughtering her in front of Afyola. The message had been clear then, but he reinforced it daily.  
Once Tefeyenmar had learned of Afyola’s affinity for sorcery, he had mandated her make a blood oath, and spent much of her adolescence torturing her physically and psychologically to create a more powerful weapon. But that image of her mother haunted her. The only person he had ever felt love towards, eliminated without hesitation. Their father-daughter relationship was more of obligation than affection, and Afyola was biding her time. This library could give her a way to understand her mother’s plan. She needed to be free, but she couldn’t let anyone know her insubordination. She had to maintain the ruse.  
“Excellent.” Dralin yawned, stretching his muscular back and arms, striding towards their lodging just off the town center. Afyola kept stride, staying just behind him to watch the townspeople as they hurried home or to the taverns. They would stay for several weeks before Dralin returned to Astorn to fulfill his responsibilities as militia coordinator and Afyola moved on to other areas to continue feeding her father’s drive to conquer all.  
It would be a long few weeks.


	2. The Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Afyola makes it to The Library. Will her companions be enough to keep her contract?

Afyola sat upright in the tiny bed at the inn. Her horns itched, and she rubbed some salve over them as well as a few wounds she had gotten during a recent raid. Her bones popped as she got up and looked out the tiny window cut into the wall. Today was the beginning. It was finally time for her to go to the library. She had slowly made a path toward it, skirting her father’s inquiries with claims that she was evaluating the countryside for safe coverage for armies during conquest. She was lucky he had started to trust her over the last decade-- it would be far more difficult to accomplish her goal if she was under an ever-present watch. Dralin had left a few days prior to take his unit towards the mountains, while she would head towards the open fields of Kachtsayson.   
She quickly threw on her usual gear: a traveler’s pack, a cloak and a light tunic. She had two daggers sheathed at her waist, and her yklwa served as both a staff when traveling uneven terrain and as a weapon. Afyola was outside the town by the time the sun began to rise above the distant peaks of the Triplet Mountains. She had several hours of walking to do, and wanted to be at The Library by the time the sun was sinking.   
The long grey-green grass reached almost to her hips as she strode through the wild, unfarmed lands on her way to Kachtsayson. The village she had stayed in was in the borderlands between the large city and that of a rival country. She had made a note to mention its prime location for securing to her father, and shivered as she thought of what that meant.  
Tefeyenmar took no prisoners. He was ruthless and violent, with a temper so variable the direction of the wind that day could have influenced how he treated others, though it was never kindly. He was slender for a Tiefling, standing nearly 7 feet tall with curled black horns that pointed behind him like a second pair of eyes. His muscular frame was often shrouded by the leather-made armor he wore as part of his daily garb, and had at times used an opponent’s belief that he would use evasive techniques in battle to catch them off-guard with a melee attack. When in the midst of a conquest, he would be even more brutal than normal, and villagers would likely be killed, strung up around the outskirts of the town as a warning, as well as a promise.  
Afyola knew she was likely the only one who could overthrow her father, but not along. The Library was known across countries for being the largest source of knowledge and power. It was highly elusive, with only prominent sorcerers and historians being permitted within its walls. However, every so often The Library opens its doors in the form of a contract. Explorers and warriors can offer their services to The Library to find their desired texts in exchange for the fulfillment of one request. The request can be for any purpose, and the capabilities of The Library extend beyond the realm of the living. Afyola had made a contract with The Library, requesting that at its fulfillment her mother be resurrected.   
Years ago, Afyola’s mother had finally spoken out against Tefeyenmar’s brutality and he had killed her in her sleep in response. Her mother had been one of the most powerful sorceresses of her time, and Afyola had acquired much of her abilities. Afyola felt that she could only succeed in overthrowing her father if she and her mother faced him together.   
As the sun began to set beyond the tree line, Afyola reached The Library. The heavy double doors reached far above her head, and she had to put her body weight against them to leverage one open. Inside, the main hall was full of armor-clad warriors, cloaked mages and weapon-wielding elves. She had joined as an individual, and knew that she had been paired with others who had done the same. When Afyola approached the most librarian-looking individual in the room, he did not look up from his book when he pointed to a pair standing off in the corner.  
“Those are your companions. Best of luck.” The man’s voice lilted in condescension.  
She shuffled through the groups over to the pair. The two were both roughly the same height, one a male elf and the other a female half-elf. The elf stepped forward  
“Hello. I’m Barry. I assume you’re the final member of our company?” His warm voiced matched the flecks of amber in his emerald eyes.  
Afyola cleared her throat, “I would guess so. I’m Afyola.”  
The half-elf angled her head towards Afyola “Souxie.”  
Before the trio could speak any further, the librarian who had directed Afyola stepped forward to address the various groups.  
“Welcome to The Library. Thank you for your compliance with our policies, and your willingness to support our pursuit of knowledge. As you can tell, there are multiple groups of explorers here. Unfortunately, only one group will remain in our employment. The remainder of you, upon our termination of your contract, will experience a brief bout of vertigo as your blood is cleared of our magical contract, and your mind forgets what you have seen and learned since your meeting with one of our Representatives to generate your contract some time ago.” The edges of his mouth upturned slightly, giving hint to his amusement at the lengths these people had gone to in an attempt to fulfill their greatest desire, only to be met with a likely memory wipe, and their hope lost. “In order to determine who will remain in our employment, we have a preliminary task for you. Nearby, there is a manor. The Lord and Lady of this manor have something that The Library wishes to obtain. Go to the manor, obtain The Spellbook of Oblarisk from them, and return it to us. The group that succeeds, will remain. Best of luck.” With that, he turned sharply on his heel and ascended a wall-bound staircase up to another level.


	3. The Manor: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The company heads off in the direction of the manor, and realizes rather quickly that nothing will be as easy as they hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! This is the first normal-length chapter. I'm writing these all based on the notes I took during our sessions, and I made more thorough notes as we continued. Also, things are actually interesting moving forward from here.

Chaos ensured as soon as the snide “Best of luck” left the Librarian’s mouth. Amidst the clamor, Afyola was able to identify the isolated groups, four of them. Barry and Siouxie looked calmly at her. Souxie cocked an eyebrow as if to ask “Shall we be going then?” Afyola nodded, and the trio made their way out the large double doors, out into the dusky meadow The Library was nestled in. The exterior of the building was an illusion; a humble slat-wooden shack with a dilapidated roof not uncommon in these parts was what most passersby would see. However, the glamour wore off once the viewer knew of what was really there. The Library was a monolith; its spires climbing upward endlessly until they seemingly merged with the sky. The rich white marbling that its floors were composed of carried over onto its exterior. The massive windows had marble linings that made the rich warm light inside the building seem even more golden in comparison. The rest of the building was predominantly white and grey stone, built with the finesse that could only come from the mage builders that were hired by nobility. Afyola guessed those builders had perhaps used some bargaining to get something better than money when they were asked to build The Library.

Barry yawned and extended his arms. He was lanky and lean, with a mischievous smirk on his thin lips. His dirty blonde hair was swept back underneath his dark brown cloak, pulled up over his pointed ears. His attire was functional: comfortable and supple leather shoes and vest over a soft cotton tunic and reinforced pants. He carried a longbow lightly in his slender fingertips, making the deadly weapon look almost weightless. 

“Well, do we even know which direction the damn manor is or is this just some massive joke?” Barry grumbled as he scratched his head.

“Did you not notice the maps they provided on the table nearest the door?” Siouxie responded, holding up a tightly rolled parchment between her fingers. Her appearance was a cold contrast to the warmth that emanated from Barry.

Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, the green and blue spider webbing of veins visible across her hand and face. Her eyes were a murky blue, and most of her dark hair was concealed by the deep violet cloak she had pulled tightly across her body. Although she was the smallest of the trio, her grip on her quarterstaff spoke of significant strength.

Barry plucked the map out of Siouxie’s grip, pulling it open and scanning it quickly before rolling it back and placing it in his pack. He gestured to the other two and began striding across the meadow into the forest beyond.

The grass grew taller the closer they got to the tree line, until it suddenly gave way to an unstable path of rocks and entangled roots. There was little light left in the day, and the forest appeared dense enough to quickly eliminate that as well. Afyola wondered if they would be safer making camp at the tree line, or if they should push on through the night to try and gain an advantage on the other companies. Neither of her companions voiced inclinations to stop, so the trio picked their way through overgrown bushes and rocks until they came upon a worn path, clearly well-traveled by merchants. Although still unstable, it proved a much easier path than the untouched forest floor. As they neared a fork in the path, Barry pulled out the map and sighed. 

“It will take us most of tonight and into the midday tomorrow before we reach the manor. No chance either of you would be able to transport us there magically?”

When Afyola and Siouxie shook their heads no, Barry sighed again and began mumbling about “what good is it to have a sorcerer AND a warlock in his company if magic couldn’t give them an edge” when the sound of a stick breaking silenced the group. Within moments, the three had their backs to each other, anticipating movement from any angle. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The leaves rustled in the wind, but no more sticks seemed to be broken. Whoever it was, they realized their error. When a doe burst through the foliage and ran past, Siouxie let out a brief chuckle at how on-edge they all had been. 

“I swear, if we’d tried to fight the deer just then I’d just end my contract now. It’s late, we’ll have the advantage here on most of the other groups I’d imagine. Barry, keep going.”

On her order, Barry continued on, checking the map occasionally to confirm that the group were headed in the correct direction. When the moon was at its highest in the sky, the three found a small glen concealed by trees and bushes. They made camp and slept lightly until dawn.

Afyola was the first one up, grabbing her gear and rousing the others to maintain the ground they had likely gained during the night. Barry chewed on a straw of wheat as he lept lightly across small rocks that lined the path. As the three continued on, he talked lightly about the various plants and herbs he had left behind, growing in both the land around his residence and within the walls as well. The sound of an arrow whistling through the air gave just enough notice for Barry to drop down and avoid a rather accurate and fatal shot. Suddenly, the group was surrounded by what appeared to be bandits. Four in total, the bandits wielded poorly-crafted yet deadly enough weapons. The apparent leader stepped forward.

“We wouldn’ta even seen yas if yous hadn’t been doin all that damn chattin! Lucky loo for us, looks like yous’re gonna give us some upgrades!” He laughed coarsely as he eyed the weapons the company held. The bandit nearest Afyola swiped at her legs with a broadsword, and instantly everyone was on the attack.

Barry made a split decision and fired an arrow at the bandit to his right, landing the shot in the center of the man’s gut. The man dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach as Barry lunged at the leader. The two grappled, Barry trying to get a hold around the older man’s bearded neck, but he was countered with two coarse and powerful hands surreptitiously throwing him onto his back. Simultaneously, Siouxie had generated crackling balls of energy in her hands and pointed them at the bandit nearest her. As the energy left her hands, it formed a beam that hit the bandit at eye-level. Blinded, by the searing of his corneas, he charged wildly at Siouxie with his sword, catching her shoulder and ripping her cloak. She grabbed him by the arm and threw him to the ground before slamming her staff through his neck, blood slickening the base of the wood. She turned to see Afyola drive both daggers into another bandit, landing in his chest before pulling down, opening him from collarbone to pelvis. By this time, Barry had managed to gain the upper hand on the leader, and quickly cut the man’s throat in one fluid motion. With the surprise attackers all taken care of, the three quickly straightened themselves up and continued on the path.

“Gah, I got some of that old buffoon’s beard in my mouth!” Barry spat, tiny silver hairs lined his tongue.

“That’s not that bad, did you see those weapons? I’m pretty sure someone else's blood is now inside my wound.” Siouxie countered, waving her hand over the tear in her skin and cloak, repairing both within moments.

Afyola rolled her eyes and a smile danced on the corner of her lips. Before she could add to the complaints, the manor came into view through a small gap in the trees. Surrounded by a large security wall, the manor was less impressive when compared to The Library. It had a wooden facade with an ornate doorway, but seemed only slightly larger than the average home of nobility. Afyola had made the assumption that a manor holding a text desired by The Library would likely be significantly more impressive than other manors she had seen before. 

“So how are we gonna play this? Go up to the gate, hope the guard let us through? I doubt that’ll be effective” Afyola noted

“Let’s look around the wall. I’d bet they have some sort of sewer system around here. It looks fancy enough that they wouldn’t want to deal with, er, waste. So to speak.” Barry replied. The three moved closer to the wall, trying to listen for the sound of water or see any noticeable holes in the ground. Near the base of a large tree was a partially-concealed hole with a rope placed under the roots and shrouded by fallen leaves. The three looked at each other.

“Well, down we go I suppose” Siouxie murmured as she slipped into the hole, making a quiet splash when she landed at the bottom. The other two quickly followed suit, landing lightly into a shallow amount of water. Rats could be heard scurrying around them, and they moved forward quickly. Afyola cast an orb of light forward, and the end of the tunnel appeared about 50 yards down. There was a ladder on the ground near the opening, and the three hastily continued towards it. About halfway across the sewer, the chattering of rats reached a cacophony, and a swarm of them surrounded the three, rapidly climbing up their legs, biting as they went. In a panic, Barry threw a set of rations back towards where they came, luring many of them away and towards the dried meats.

The three took off at a sprint, knowing that the ration would be gone in seconds and the rats would return. Afyola hoisted the ladder up to the opening, and held it steady as Barry climbed upward. Souxie followed him, being pulled up and beyond the opening before Afyola stepped onto the ladder. The rats were back, sinking their teeth into the leathery skin of her calves and climbing upward. Some were climbing up the sides of the ladder and coming down onto her, biting her face, hands and shoulders. She pushed onward, climbing as quickly as possible and feeling Barry and Siouxie beat the rats off of her as she came close enough. Suddenly, she was pulled upward off the ladder and onto a floor as the ladder fell away, back into the water.

Her breathing slowed and she wiped the blood from her eyes. The rats had found purchase on the softer tissues, and one had managed to catch her hairline. Siouxie and Barry both also had bites, but mostly on their legs. They looked at her with concern, and she waved it away. She sat up and took in their surroundings. They had emerged in what looked like servants quarters. It figures that the waste removal would come from here, she thought begrudgingly. Afyola had always hated the mistreatment of servants. Her father had a reputation for being one of the cruelest employers. The quarters were of a medium size, and quite clean. There were seven beds along one long wall and an armoire with additional uniforms on the other. The rest of the room was relatively barren. Siouxie checked the armoire as Barry peered through the doorway into the hallway. 

“There’s a big open area, and then three more rooms. It looks like there’s a staircase leading upwards on the left, and a double set of stairs leading down on the right. There might also be a room next to ours.” He relayed.

“I think it’s best that we split up. It’ll be easier to avoid being noticed, and we can cover more ground. Do we even know what this spellbook looks like?” Afyola added in a hushed voice.

“Fine by me. I’ll check out whatever’s next to us. You two go for the rooms across the foyer.”

Siouxie and Afyola nodded. Barry walked out of the door to the left, and the other two quickly made their way out of the servant’s room and across the foyer. Afyola took the room furthest to the right while Siouxie investigated the center room. Within moments, both women could hear an agitated female voice loudly accuse “What are you doing in here?!” There was no response. Barry had been made. In his search of the study next to the servant’s quarters, he had not sufficiently secured the room, and a young servant girl had entered. He could see in her eyes that she would call for the guards. It wasn’t a risk he would take. Decisively, Barry lunged at her, clamping a hand over her mouth to prevent her from calling out. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth as he pulled his knife across the girl's throat. He couldn’t risk losing this contract. It was the only choice he had left, and he would do whatever necessary to keep his employment with The Library.

That didn’t mean he ever had to tell his companions what all that entailed.


End file.
